Dem Cogs
by Buttholechaser
Summary: Kylo Ren is happily working for Presidential candidate Donald Snoke, but as his mother begins to get closer to the Democratic nomination he must make peace with his estranged family under the spotlight of two national campaigns. Kylo works to keep his emotions in check but he can't help his interest in the beautiful Healthcare Reform activist working on his mother's campaign.
1. Prologue

Colby Agoosetus heart pounded as the sound of thunderous applause, shouting, and cheering thundered around her. She shakily made her way across the enormous stage, the bright lights from above and camera flashing nearly bringing out the tears that had been threatening to break through since night before. This was the biggest moment of her career so far and she wouldn't screw it up because of a silly crush. She reached her place and gave a tight smile before beginning the introduction she had been born to give.

She began with confidence and poise "Hello delegates of 2016 Democratic National Convention!"

The room erupted into cheering even louder than before. Colby looked down, smiling with a laugh before continuing.

"I began my career as an ER Nurse 6 years ago, I never expected to be here in front of millions of Americans introducing the woman who is about to speak to you. This woman is my mentor, she helped me become who I am today and I have been honored to serve with her in patient advocacy for the last two years. She has worked tirelessly over the course of decades to fight for patients across this great country and helped President Skywalker work toward affordable healthcare coverage for every American. Today the people of the Democratic Party have spoken. Please join me in welcoming Leia Organa Solo, friend, mother, sister, Surgeon, Senator, Secretary of Health and Human Services and your nominee for President of the United States."

Colby stepped to the side as Secretary Solo made her way across the stage as the sound of the crowd became deafening. The spirit in the room couldn't have been lighter, the entire convention had been infused with a sense of unification and hope that hadn't been felt for years, but Colby felt like a block of lead.


	2. Chapter 1: Sparks Fly

**Chapter 1**

 _Late January, Six Months to Convention._

"What's the name of this anchor again?" Colby asked as she massaged her temples. A woman flitted around her busily reapplying makeup after her third television spot that afternoon.

The media PA responded with a look of irritation before responding

"It's Chris Wallace at Fox! I've already told you."

Colby arched an eyebrow in warning at the PA before she readjusted her earpiece in preparation for the broadcast interview. _Ugh Chris Wallace_ Colby groaned internally _I hate talking to that overcooked baked potato of a human being._

Colby was always game though, no matter how irritating the job, she was willing to do it for Secretary Solo.

 _Alright let's get this over with,_ Colby thought before plastering a smile on her face. She heard the PA counting down to on air cut before the sound of Chris Wallace's voice entered her earpiece and the camera light flicked on.

"Joining us tonight on our weekly Election 2016 panel is a senior spokesperson from the Solo campaign, Colby Agoosetus." Wallace's drew out in his nasally timbre.

"Happy to be here Chris."

§§§

Sighing with relief as the broadcast ended, Colby got out of her seat and removed her earpiece. She walked off from the impromptu media center set up in the campaign's Iowa office. The entire campaign was in constant crisis mode preceding the Iowa Caucus, Colby had regularly been putting in 12 hour work days.

As Colby made her way across the office she walked past the campaign manager, Mar Florez who was talking animatedly into her phone. The woman tried flagging Colby down with a wild flopping of her hands. Speeding up Colby tried to pretend she didn't notice but Mar just trotted after her and continued shouting into her phone as they walked towards the kitchenette.

"Why don't you see how that works out for you?" Mar yelled into her phone before hanging it up violently.

Colby scrunched her features inward, stretched her lips and tilted her head into the crook of her neck, making a potato face as she asked Mar "Who was that?"

"That was just my niece." Mar said with a scowl as they finally reached the kitchenette.

Colby continued to make a potato face at Mar as she reached into the cupboard for coffee mugs. "You want one Mar?" she asked. Mar nodded and Colby quickly poured coffees from the percolator for both of them while Mar furiously texted god knows who. Leaning against the counter to relax, Colby handed a steaming mug to Mar with a peaceful sigh.

Taking on sip, Mar scrunched her face in irritation. "God this is fucking disgusting." she said before pouring her coffee down the drain. Colby potato faced yet again. "Pep up Clob-Woman!" Mar said with a light pat on her cheek. "If you always screw your face up like that it'll look like that permanently." Mar finished smugly.

"Thanks Mar." Colby said with a slightly less potato expression "Look I need a breath of fresh air, I'm going to head out back while I drink this okay?"

Mar waved her off while the sound of her phone rang out _Bidi Bidi Bom Bom_ for each text she received. Colby wlked out of the kitchenette, hurrying through the campaign building. She stopped briefly by her office to grab her coat, and headed out the exit door into the back alley. Breathing in the crisp air of an Iowa evening, Colby snuggled into her down coat and leaned against the wall taking a sip of her coffee.

"You did a good job on the Wallace interview." Said a deep voice to her left. Colby whipped her head around to see a tall and lean man, arms crossed, leaning against the wall, across from to her.

"Uh, um thank you." Colby stammered out with a blush "You were watching that? That's so embarrassing, I hate his paneled discussions. It's always just me getting dog piled by his conservative pundit minions." Colby said gesturing with her arms nervously.

The man chuckled and added "Wallace can be a hard-ass but you know how to push all the right buttons." before taking a drag from a cigarette Colby only just then noticed. "Those things will kill you ya'know." Colby warned with a scowl, but internally smiling at the compliment from the handsome stranger.

"Yeah? My mother is always telling me that too." He said with a smirk, flicking the butt to the ground, and grinding it to ash with his foot.

"So what are you doing here?" Colby asked with mild suspicion. "I haven't seen you phone banking or anything and I know you're not a campaign staffer." She finished.

"I'm just visiting somebody who works on the Campaign, don't worry yourself over it." He answered with a low chuckle.

Colby felt her stomach flip at the sound of his throaty laugh but kept her continence. "Are you a reporter or something? You have to go through the press pool for that and I don't see a badge, if you've snuck in here then I'll see that you have an issue with security." She warned.

The stranger threw back his head to let out more laughter, exposing the long column of his pale neck as his long hair fell back. "I promise you I'm allowed to be here." He explained with an lazy smile.

Colby knew she should follow up but felt reassured by the ease in which he comported himself. She told herself that she knew security wouldn't have let in just anybody off the street. Feeling confident that nothing was up she decided to introduce herself.

"My name's Colby," she spoke in a low voice, feeling a blush creep back into as they slowly made eye contact. She walked forward, extending her hand.

"Colby," he repeated, as if testing the weight of it in the tone of his voice. As he accepted her hand, she noticed his eyes briefly flick across her features before locking in on her gaze again.

"My name's Kylo," he replied, "Kylo Ren." His hand was still wrapped around hers, his pale skin warm against hers, long fingers resting across her palm. Their hands were still entwined, eyes still locked until the sound of the back door opening drew Colby out of their reverie.

Colby quickly extricated herself from the handshake and forced herself to look away from the dark haired man in front of her to see her assistant step out into the cold alleyway.

"Hayley, what is it?" Colby snapped, clearly irritated to have been interrupted. She glared at her short slovenly assistant. His fluffy unkempt brown hair, usually endearing, was driving her up the wall. "Um-um-um sorry Ma'am, but you have a meeting with Secretary Solo in 15 minutes." He stammered out. Colby sighed in exasperation at her well-meaning assistant, before turning around to make eye contact with Kylo Ren one last time. As she turned, she saw just a flash of his tailored black trousers as he entered the controlled chaos of the campaign office.


	3. Chapter 2: Meet Cute Pt 2

Chapter 2

Kylo heard the _tap-tap-tap_ of his mother's wedding ring against her desk. In the periphery, he could see her leaning back in her chair, hand across her eyes, unaware that the son she hadn't seen in years was hesitating just outside her office. He clenched his fists tightly and made a light rapping on the doorframe to make his presence known. She seemed not to have noticed so with another _rap against the wall_ and a clearing of his throat, he took a measured stride into his mother's office and shut the door behind him. It was the first time they'd spoken face to face in years and he'd be kidding himself if he wasn't nervous.

His mother finally looked up, noticing him. Her eyes looked stricken, and she began to worry her hands at her wedding ring. She sighed heavily before getting up and walking quickly towards him. Before Kylo could react, she pulled him into a warm embrace. His body went rigid, the hug brining up unwanted feelings of guilt that he'd long since pushed to the back of his mind. Unable to move his arms, he coughed until his mother released him from unfamiliar embrace. She grasped his upper arms and looked up at him with an inscrutable expression before she reached up to touch his hair.

"You look so different Ben…" She choked out.

Kylo flinched and pulled backward out of his mother's reach and paced across the room before landing in a squat olive green armchair in the back much too low for his long legs.

"Don't call me that." He hissed out with a scowl.

His mother straightened her back, head held high and walked behind her desk with an air of finality. "If you insist on acting like a petulant child because I call you by your given name it will not be easy for you here." She warned harshly.

"I guess the happy reunion is over then?" Kylo questioned darkly.

His mother rolled her eyes, removing her glasses. "Oh please Ben," she said "there's no need to be so dramatic. I think we owe to ourselves and your father to be civil about this."

"Yes I'm sure it's our family that concerns you," he said scathingly "it obviously has nothing to do with the campaign."

His mother sat down with a sigh and shot a tired glance at her son "See this is exactly what I'm talking about," she started "we will not get anywhere at each other's throats."

"Well what would you prefer Madame Secretary." He said sarcastically, spreading his arms in mockery of a grand gesture.

"Well first off we need to be honest with each other about why we're here." His mother began. "I would be lying if I said that the way our relationship will look to the press didn't have anything to do with why I asked you to come here. However, I think that this situation presents a good opportunity for us to be a family again."

Kylo scoffed but looked at his mother with a twinge of regret. "I guess if you really want to be in each other's lives again then I won't stop you, but I don't expect me to give you any information about the Snoke campaign."

His mother made a dismissive sound and gave a wave of her hand "I'm not worried about that buffoon, trust me."

Kylo, enraged, opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by a knock on the door, leaving him to glower at his mother as she called out "Come in Clob-Woman." _Who in the hell is this Clob-Woman character?_ Kylo thought to himself before he watched the stunning woman he'd met less than 15 minutes earlier enter the room without noticing him sitting in the back corner.

"You know I don't like that nick-name Madame Secretary." The slight red head said as she approached his mother's desk. "It makes me sound like a potato person or something. Why'd you call me in if I mind asking? We didn't have anything scheduled for today on the agenda, you must be exhausted from all the events today."

His mother examined her friend with a knowing eye. Colby had been working with her since she'd been appointed secretary half way through her brother's first term, she wasn't just a loyal and driven member of her inner circle, she was like a daughter. With her gentle hand she'd be the perfect member of her staff to guide Kylo back to the liberal side. "Colby I'd like you to meet my son." His mother said as she gestured to the back of the room.

§§§

Colby, confused, whipped around to see the tall mystery from the alley sitting in a cramped position behind her. Colby's expression went from confused to embarrassed as Kylo smirked at her and gave a small wave.

Thinking first to tell the Secretary that they'd already met but thinking better of it, Colby finally responded lamely "I uh, didn't realize you had a son."

The Secretary laughed lightly "You and most of America," she said "Ben has done a very good job of staying out of the spotlight until recently. Unless you've looked deeply into my Wikipedia page you wouldn't have known." Kylo scowled as his mother spoke but said nothing.

Colby only looked at her mentor with confusion. _Is he a love-child? Adopted? How did I not notice this on her Wiki page? I've edited it before!_ She thought to herself, mind running a mile a minute until the Secretary finally spoke up.

"I hope Ben feels comfortable with me sharing this," the Secretary began as her son's scowl deepened "but you are a very close friend and I want you to know about this before it goes public." Colby nodded solemnly but was taken aback as the man behind her ground out an irritated "Do _not_ call me that _mother._ "

Colby glanced between the two, astounded that somebody dared take that tone with Secretary Solo. The tired woman acquiesced however, waving her hand dismissively. " _Kylo,"_ she said heavily "has been rather distant from his father and myself for several years, before you and I even met. _Kylo_ has done a very good job of distancing himself from the Organa-Solo name both publicly and privately but, because we're heading into the thick of this campaign I've decided it's best that we get out ahead of this."

Colby nodded and asked "So what is my role in this? Other than just letting me know? Surely you've let Mar know as well?"

The Secretary smiled knowingly "I'm going to let Mar know as soon as possible but I'm telling you first for a reason." Colby nearly potato faced before remembering who she was talking to. "I'd like you to be in charge of _Kylo_ while he's here. Make sure he can find his way around the offices, and the campaign trail, moving forward."

Colby looked back at the man behind her as he exclaimed indignantly "I hardly think I need a babysitter _mother."_

The Secretary gave an audible sigh "well let's look at her as more of a Kylo-liaison than a babysitter why don't we? Because I insist that you have somebody here to touch base with when I can't see you."

"Don't worry _mother,"_ Kylo said with a surprising flatness "I don't think I'll be visiting nearly as much as you think." He finished before standing up, making to leave. Before he could walk out though the Secretary's commanding voice called out "please have Colby show you around the office before you go, won't you?"

Kylo turned around to look at the young woman still taking in quite a bit of new information. "Why not?" He said with a shrug, stopping to wait for Colby. The shell-shocked woman looked up from her thoughts, shook her head in agreement and followed him out of the office.


	4. Chapter 3: Illumination

Chapter 3

Kylo cleared his throat in irritation to get the attention of his new keeper "Well let's see the place." He said shrugging.

Colby's eyes darted to him, she'd been standing outside the door, hand on the knob, deep in thought. She stood up straight, shoulder's back. _I'm not about to make a fool of myself in front of my boss's very handsome son_ she thought to herself.

"Okay well, as you can see there's really not that much to see." Colby said, gesturing to the relatively bare open office. By then most of the staffers had filtered out and only a handful of people were still at their desks. Colby pointed towards the back "There's the kitchen, my office is by the back door over there. Mar, the campaign manager, her office is next to your mother's. Other than us everybody else works out here." She finished, gesturing to the mass of desk space currently occupied by a few interns and reporters from the press pool working late into the evening.

"Your press guy doesn't have an office?" Kylo said in surprise. Colby looked up at him quizzically "No uh, Mr. Dameron is usually traveling so he let me use his old space actually. Not like it matters though, we'll be out of here soon enough." She finished with hopeful satisfaction.

"I take it you're not a huge fan of Des Moines?" Kylo asked, moving to face her. Colby arched an eyebrow and began to walk Kylo around the admittedly bare office space "are _you_ a fan of Des Moines?" she responded caustically. Kylo gave a light chuckle "I'm not, no. You're right, who is?" he answered. "It's a shame the campaigns have to stay here for so long." He said, pausing to look out the wide windows in the front which showed only a strip mall parking lot and a passable view of Downtown Des Moines.

"You're telling me." Colby huffed "I've been living out of Holiday Inns for the better part of a year."

Kylo gave her a sympathetic look as they passed Colby's office where she grabbed her coat, and by then they'd come full circle, both standing by the front doors. "Well if that's all..?" Kylo asked looking as though he was ready to leave. Colby nodded, disappointed that their time together had been so short. Before she could stop herself she blurted out a question.

"Look I don't want to pry but I have to know what's going on." She said quickly.

"What do you mean?" Kylo asked tightly, taken aback by the audacity of auburn haired busybody he was looking down at.

Colby started fiddling with a petite crescent moon charm on her wrist before mustering the courage to continue her questioning "Okay so, I understand keeping a son hidden from the media would be a big deal right? What I don't understand is why you need supervision? Why you changed your name, and why you and Secretary Solo seem to be at each other's throats? Maybe it's none of my business, no it really isn't any of my business, but I I'd like to know what I'm dealing with if I'm supposed to have the ridiculous title of 'Kylo Liaison' on top of all the other work I'm doing." Colby felt a blush rise to her face as she realized how far she'd just overstepped.

Kylo looked at her incredulously until she stammered out "Uh-uh I'm so sorry, that was totally inappropriate. I can't believe I just..."

Before she finished Kylo threw back his head in a fit of light laughter "look," he said, composing himself and moving to open the door "I get why you're asking, my mother and I clearly don't get along. Step outside with me." Kylo motioned for her to exit with him and her blush deepened.

They both stepped into the frigid air of a January evening, Colby pulled her jacket around her tightly and looked up in concern at Kylo, dressed in only a slim charcoal suit. "You must be freezing…" she said.

Kylo looked at her reproachfully "I'll be fine." he said, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his pocket. Hands cupped at his cheeks, the glow of lighter illuminating him, he lit his cigarette. Exhaling smoke with a sigh of relief, he looked down at her "I'll tell you want you what's going on if you really want to know but not until I know you better." Colby half potatoed at his words and his smoking. _As if I have the time to gain his trust when in his own words he'll barely be around._

"Well what do you suggest?" she asked, almost going full potato.

Kylo laughed with mirth in his eyes "Why don't we start with a drink?" he asked. "As long as you stop making that face."

"Oh, um," she stammered, not expecting an invitation like that "tonight?" she questioned in disbelief.

"I don't see why not." He answered with a lazy smirk, taking a long draw from his cigarette.

Colby was taken aback by his forwardness but, determined to know more she forged on.

"Well there aren't many great bars open in Des Moines on a Sunday evening, but there's a 24 hour diner a short walk from here?" She suggested.

"Lead the way." He responded, tossing his cigarette and offering her his arm.


	5. Chapter 4: Spork Straight to the Heart

Chapter 4

Colby glanced furtively at Kylo as they entered the dingy, dimly lit diner. He looked like a man with fine tastes. Colby enjoyed the finer things in life like any woman, face masks, young adult fantasy romance literature, calf skin ballet toe shoes, she knew how to spend money. Even though she had a taste for luxury, she was content with the simple things as well, this diner with its Midwestern charm suited her just fine.

"This place is okay with you right?" She asked shuffling in place at the entrance.

Kylo looked at her, eye wide "Yeah of course," he answered "I already agreed didn't I? I've spent my fair share of time in greasy spoons, nothing to shake a stick at." He finished.

Colby smiled warmly and walked the two of them to a booth near the back. Colby scooted against the wall of the booth, legs propped up on cracked red leather of the ancient cushion.

"It's been a long day for both of us." She said with a tired but genuine smile.

Kylo nodded in response. His lengthy body and large frame seemed to fill the entire booth, broad shoulders lowered with his hands clasped on the table in front of him.

"I'll be honest with you," he began "I may have looked fine, but seeing my mother today was not easy. It's been awhile." He finished, running a hand across his eyes in exhaustion.

Colby gave him a sympathetic look, though it boggled her that anybody wouldn't be able to get along with the Secretary. _She's such a fantastic woman, she must've been a fantastic mother. Wouldn't she have?_ Colby thought to herself. Right as she was about to ask him a question, their waiter appeared.

"Hi, I'm Poe! I'll be your server!" He said with spunk.

Colby potatoed at their interrupting waiter while trying to glance at the menu.

In an effort to have as little interaction with Poe as possible, Colby ordered hastily "I'll have a liver and onions platter, a children's cheese quesadilla, mozzarella sticks, and a hot chocolate with whipped cream."

Kylo looked at her incredulously but turned back to their server "I'll just have a black coffee and a grapefruit half, thanks." He said.

"You got it!" Poe responded with an unshakable positive attitude.

"Where were we?" Kylo asked.

Colby was wringing her hands beneath the table "I was about to ask, well I want to know what's really going on. Like I asked back at the office."

Colby paused as Poe returned with their drinks, setting them down with an irritating efficiency.

"I guess it's only fair." Kylo responded, taking a long sip of his steaming coffee.

"I guess I'll just be up front about it," Kylo began "my mother and I had quite the fight about ten years ago. It was because I had decided, after I graduated from college, that I was a Republican."

Colby felt her heart turn to ice. _He_ can't _be a Republican, he just_ can't _be._ Colby thought to herself, verklempt.

Trying to form words, she finely responded "That's not, that's not like…" she struggled "That shouldn't end the relationship between a mother and son. Plenty of my family is conservative and we get along, we love each other."

Kylo shot her a reproachful look. "Yeah?" He said with a scoff "I don't think you know my mother as well as you think you do. She may love me still, I don't doubt that, but as soon as I deviated from her perfect little life plan our relationship was over."

"How can you say that?" Colby felt her heart breaking, this handsome man, with so much potential in her mind was tearing up all her fantasies. "Secretary Solo has been with her husband, you father I'm assuming, for decades despite their troubles. If they can make it work shouldn't you be able to make it work with her too?"

Kylo gave her a dark look before responding in a low voice "Look here, I said I was going to be honest with you, but that doesn't mean you get to assume things about me and my family you don't know anything about." He intoned "My mother may look like a loving wife to you and the public but that's not the whole picture."

Colby could see his right hand grasping for something, she felt heat rise to her cheeks at the way she'd pushed, the intrusiveness of her questions.

"My mother is also a fucking hypocrite," he said, voice rising "my grandfather was a Republican too, did you know that?" he asked scathingly.

Colby shook her head quickly as their food was served. Trying to assuage the feeling of scrutiny she was getting from Kylo, and the embarrassment at her prying, she tucked into her cheese quesadilla with purpose. But, not being able to help herself she asked "That doesn't explain why you're back, why now I mean. It can't just be the campaign, it's too late for that. What's going on?"

Kylo looked at her with an almost mirthful eye, like what he was about to say was going to upset her and it made him happy that it would.

"That's probably because I just started working as a strategizer on Donald Snoke's campaign." He said with a smirk, as he plunged a steely runcible spoon into the center of his grapefruit.

If his admission of conservatism had turned Colby's heart to ice, then this latest revelation had been like an ice pick shattering it into hundred pieces. _No._

Colby dropped her quesadilla to the table and looked up at him with wide, stricken eyes and a mouth wide open in shock.

"But, how, how…? I don't understand. You seem so smart, you come from such a great family. I don't get it."

Kylo glared at her before starting "He actually makes great points, which I'm sure you'll deny." He said _force_ fully.

"Yeah, until he starts complaining about how white people having been "trampled over" in this country for years..." she said shrilly "Until he calls Mexicans criminals and rapists! _I_ think every point he makes is awful!"

Kylo rolled her eyes at her "The thing is, Colby, nobody wants to admit that Donald Snoke has ideas and qualities that would be beneficial to our country. You liberals always act so vilified for having an unpopular view but now that Snoke supporters are in the minority you still act so put upon. Let us stand up for what we believe in."

Colby's eye nearly bulged out of her head "Look I absolutely agree that it is important to stand in the minority if you are also in the logically sound position, but where we differ here is on the contention that the points Snoke makes are something worthy of supporting!" Kylo looked taken aback at her voracity.

"Which ideas of Snoke's would be beneficial for the country? Starting a destructive trade war with China and Mexico? Knocking on doors looking for 12 million immigrants? Committing war crimes by killing the families of and torturing enemy combatants? Banning Muslims from entering the country? Enacting inane fiscal policies that would raise the debt by trillions of dollars? Which one of these would be beneficial?" Colby sputtered out, cheeks red with anger and embarrassment.

Kylo looked like he was torn between amusement, anger and admiration "Okay, I've heard all of this before trust me." He said putting his hand in the air, as if in defense. Colby potatoed in response to his patronizing tone. "The fact that you are twisting nearly all of Snoke's potential policies to make him look worse just makes all of your arguments fallible. Until you understand what he really wants to do you should refrain from jumping to radical conclusions."

Colby was about to get up and leave, she was so mad. Clenching her fists beneath her table and forced out "Where have I twisted his policies?" Trying to understand where he was coming from.

Kylo smirked "Where do I start? 'Destructive trade war,' 'Committing war crimes,' and 'Enacting insane fiscal policies.' You twist every tiny thing he says into this massively out of control racist things that haven't even happened."

Colby looked incredulous "Specifically targeting a specific religious group is _literally_ a war crime, not to mention a violation of the constitution!" she nearly shouted.

"It's only the _idea_ of a temporary ban." Kylo responded. "You keep twisting his policies!"

Colby potatoed to an extreme degree. "Snoke speaks in hyperbolics and that makes it difficult to discern what he actually wants or will do. But his supports seem to just believe that whatever he says makes sense, even when it seems apparent that he doesn't believe it, or that he knows better, and that anyone who disagrees with what he says is a special interest group, or an idiot. It's a strange and concerning phenomenon" She forced out, as if talking to a child.

"It doesn't matter what his supporters think" Kylo started "I think he should be taken seriously because he does have some ideas that would help our country. Many Americans can see that, so why can't liberals?" He asked.

Colby looked him up and down, took cash from her bag, slammed it on the table, and stood up.

"I'll see you next time you're in the office. Have a good evening." She said icily as she turned to walk away.

Kylo tried to be angry, she had insulted a man he held in high regard, but he couldn't help the genuine smile forming on his lips.


	6. Chapter 5: Des Moines' Morning Light

_One Week Later_

"What's chapping your khakis?" Mar asked, nosing into Colby's grim Des Moines office as the staff was busy packing up their operation. "You've been in a funk the past week but I'd hoped you'd perk up after our big win last night." Mar continued.

"Why are you still here Mar?" Colby bit back caustically rather than answer Mar's pointed question "Secretary Solo is already in New Hampshire so I don't see why you're still here." Colby finished with a side-eye at her boss.

It was 8:00 AM Colby had been up all night giving satellite interviews on the major cable networks for the Iowa Caucus, and debriefing campaign staff in the Iowa office. The Secretary had long since left for New Hampshire and Colby was about to leave for the airport to catch a flight to Charleston to take over the community outreach division at the South Carolina office.

"I'll tell you why I'm still here Clob," Mar started "the Secretary may have given me a bit of leeway and I may have treated myself to a preppy intern with a name like Charles or Chad or something. Those trust fund Southern Democrat boys may be entitled but not when they're trying to please the manager." Mar answered with an eyebrow waggle. Colby looked at her with a face approaching mashed levels of potato. "I really have no response to that." Colby replied incredulously while packing up her laptop and pulling on her coat.

"Okay then don't respond to that, respond to my earlier question." Mar said, continuing to needle her. Colby rolled her eyes before grabbing her suitcase from the corner of the room. "I don't want to talk about it and I have a flight to catch." She answered squarely.

"Luckily I too must fly, let's take a cab together." Mar said as she pulled her suitcase to her side from behind the door frame. Colby rolled her eyes but didn't risk another dig at her boss. "Okay let me call a cab. Will you grab us coffees from the break room before we leave?" Mar nodded and stepped away. "I'll meet you out front." She called back.

§§§§§

The two exhausted women slumped in the back seat of the local cab as they took the long drive to the airport, the streets clogged with a mass exodus of staff from multiple campaigns and media outlets as the victory parties and concession speeches following the caucus were finally over.

"Where are you headed again?" Mar asked for the umpteenth time, still only half paying attention as she furiously texted at lightning speed. In a gray blur of early morning light, the drab sights of Des Moines flashed by them as Colby's eyes flickered out the window of their cab.

Colby sighed audibly as she sat up from her slouched position against the door, face on the window, turning to look at Mar.

"South Carolina. I've told you a dozen times. Shouldn't you know as the campaign manager?"

Mar gave her a condescending look before turning back to her phone "I'd say my strong suits are strategy and policy drafting, not personnel management." Colby harrumphed in acquiescence, leaning against the door again.

"You still haven't answered my question." Mar pointed out. "About what?" Colby questioned groggily, the night finally catching up to her. "What's been up with you lately is what I mean. You've been acting like a complete shart for the past week despite how well we're doing." Mar exclaimed.

"There's more to life than the campaign." Colby said cryptically.

Mar gave her a withering look but didn't push her any further.

"Thanks for asking though." Colby said quietly as she leaned against Mar, trying to nap before they reached the airport.

§§§§§

Colby made her way across the unusually crowded Des Moines airport, feeling like a total rock star in her ballet practice shoes. _They're perfect for travel_ she thought to herself _on and off so quickly, and so comfortable. I'm a genius._ She finally found her gate as was ready to sit down and catch a break when she froze in place. Standing a few yards in front of her at her gate was a striking man with a long dark hair. _Shit_ Colby thought, her good mood shot and replaced by nerves and sweaty palms.

Forcing herself to ignore him and try to relax, she walked over to a seat near the gate desk and tried to look inconspicuous, scrolling through her phone. As soon as they called to board, she shot up and got from her seat at the gate to her seat on board in just a few minutes. She claimed a window seat in the back hoping he wouldn't notice her, but as the small domestic jet began to fill her anxiety grew. It soon became apparent that the plane was going to be completely full and she cursed at herself for taking a seat so far back.

Just as she was resolved to her face with her hoodie, she looked up and caught the eye of the man she was dreading. The man smirked knowingly as she shrunk further into her seat and tried to look like she was staring out the window, he pulled his carry on from where he had just finished placing it and walked towards the back.

"Where are you going?" A red headed man questioned in exasperation at his imposing travel partner. "I'll catch up with you at the airport Hux," the dark haired man called, twisting to answer his co-worker "don't wait up." He added.

He made his way to the very back, reaching up to place his bag into her aisle's overhead, Colby had an unobstructed view of his torso, the veins in his long arms becoming pronounced as he rearranged the contents of compartment above them. He gracefully climbed into the seat next to Colby and smiled at her widely with nearly wicked mirth. Colby looked at him with mild irritation and a side of potatoes. He simply buckled up and continued smiling with satisfaction.

"Hello Mr. Ren." Colby said, finally breaking the silence between them.

"Oh Colby," he responded with a grin "please call me Kylo."


	7. Chapter 6: Fly Away With Me

Colby was ostensibly trying to look out the window and ignore the looming presence of the handsome man beside her but their proximity was testing her limits. The length of his legs would've forced any considerate person to keep them together and lean away but Kylo seemed to dominate their entire aisle with his manspreading. She quickly glanced at him and rolled her eyes, snapping them back to the window as she caught her mistake and hoped he wouldn't notice.

"What was that for?" He asked reproachfully, his cheeky smile driving her further up the wall.

Colby looked at him and responded with another intense eye roll, trying her best to give him an _I'm not in the mood_ look. Before she could turn back around Kylo gave her a meaningful look, as if begging some sort of reaction out of her. In response she tightened the strings on her hoodie until only her nose was visible and leaned her head against the window with a thump.

"Real mature Colby." Kylo said with a snort of disapproval. I don't think we should resort to childish behavior over our political differences-

Kylo was abruptly cut off by a screechy noise from under Colby's hoodie. She yanked the butthole like circle of hoodie fabric around her face to reveal her potatoed face.

"You know what else is childish?" Colby asked with a shrieky whisper, not wanting to disturb the other passengers.

Kylo rolled his eyes but played along "What?" he asked in response.

"Oh I don't know, maybe insulting a female news anchor by insinuating she was having her period?" Colby continued with her eyes nearly bugging out.

"Oh come on-" Kylo tried to respond but was interrupted by Colby again.

" _Little does Donald Snoke know_ that WOMEN VOTE TOO." She hissed.

"There you go again!" Kylo responded "You liberals act like somebody saying something mean invalidates everything they've ever done or stand for."

"Well to me it sounds like what he 'stands for' is demeaning women" Colby said with an irritated scowl.

"Okay, it's not like one thing a person says defines their entire ideology, that would be ridiculous."

"Bullshit." Colby finished with finality, pulling her hoodie closed once again. She pulled her ballet practice shoe clad feet up on the chair and under her butt, pivoting away from Kylo into a perfect napping position.

§§§§§

Colby was woken up from her brief nap as a rattle signaled the arrival of the drink cart in the very back of the cabin. The disembodied voice of a flight attendant reached Colby's ears through her hoodie. Slightly blinded and discombobulated by the hood she thrashed a bit before finally freeing herself of the restrictive garment to ensure that she got her complimentary drink and cookies.

The dapper flight attendant smiled at the two of them warmly before asking their drink orders.

"I'm Finn! What will y'all be having this morning?" he questioned sweetly.

"Schweppes Bitter Lemon." Kylo said dismissively with a flick of his long pale fingers, not looking up from the dog eared paperback on his knew.

The attendant served Kylo quickly before asking Colby's order.

"A hot tea and Biscoff please." She responded after finally snapping her head up from her nap induced haze.

Colby was finding it easier to ignore Kylo while his attention was on his book. She contentedly sipped her tea, gazing out the window in earnest when something caught her eye. Kylo's book boasted a lavender cover, by squinting she could just make out a lick of flowers rimming the edge of the back. That surprised her, thinking that he wouldn't be reading something feminine enough to have such a dainty cover.

"What are you reading?" She blurted out without realizing she had just reignited a conversation with the man she had tried so hard to ignore.

Kylo arched a dark eyebrow in response but then held the book up for her, lengthy fingers obscuring some of the book's cover.

 _Pride and Prejudice_

Colby's heart almost stopped, she was at a loss for words. Taking her silence for disinterest, Kylo turned back to his book. The silence petered on awkwardly for a few moments before she finally spoke up.

"That's my favorite book." She spoke in a near whisper.

Kylo looked up, surprised. "Oh really?" he said, placing the book down.

"Yeah it _really_ is." She responded, irritation flooding back with the implications of his question.

"I didn't mean it as an insult, you just seem like a no nonsense woman. I wouldn't have taken you for a Jane Austen fan." He answered defensively.

"I think I could say the same of you! What about a tall, dark and handsome mystery man smoking cigarettes in an alley scream 'I love period romance novels!' to you?" she shot back.

Kylo smirked with another quirk of his eyebrow "You think I'm handsome?"

Colby glared in response to his baiting. She was beginning to pull her hoodie strings when Kylo's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist to stop her.

"Hey wait okay." He said quickly, Colby looked down at her wrist where his serpentine hand was clasped around her. Her heart thumped for several beat and his grasp against her pulse point sent a shock through her system ending with a quick yank of her arm away from him. She looked up into his eyes before turning away, swearing she saw the ghost of hurt in his dark view.

Feeling slightly guilty for her behavior she decided to try and play nice for a while before she took another nap.

"Okay so why does the _handsome_ mystery man like Pride and Prejudice?" She asked bitingly, trying poorly to salvage a civil conversation.

"Other than the fact that I'm a total Liz?" He questioned back.

"Okay not everybody that reads Pride gets to decide that they're a Liz, you don't get to make that call because nine times out of ten the person describing themselves as a 'total Liz' is more like a Lydia or a _Charles."_ She fired back.

"Okay Judgey, then who are you?" Kylo questioned further.

"Oh I'm a total Liz." Colby answered with a genuine smile.


	8. Chapter 7: Ball Point

Colby was roused from her fitful slumber by the inoffensive ding over the plane's PA, letting the passengers know they would be descending soon. The red head was briefly disoriented until she lifted her head the broad shoulder it had been resting on and pulled open the face of her hoodie, looking around and getting her bearing back after her nap.

Slowly she began to remember what had happened before she fell asleep, trying poorly to hide the contented smile playing at her lips. Kylo had been a gentleman, completely eroding her opinion of him as a blowhard wannabe bad boy with mommy issues. She'd thought that if he was a Donald Snoke supporter he had to be a just as douche as the candidate he worked for. Instead he was a sincere and engaging conversationalist. She found herself forgetting about his political leanings the longer they talked. Maybe she'd been too hasty in judging him, he was Secretary Solo's son after all.

"What's got you so happy sleeping beauty?" Kylo said with a smirk, drawing her out of her thoughts.

"Oh my god, did I fall asleep on top of you?" Colby blurted out, suddenly realizing where she'd woken up.

"Yeah you did," he responded, his smirk deepening, "but I didn't mind."

Colby blushed deeply and turned to look out the window to avoid making eye contact with Kylo. She may have started to loosen up on her feelings about his political beliefs, he was her boss's son after all and it wouldn't do to constantly fly off the handle at him, but she couldn't say that she was completely comfortable around him yet either. The fact that she'd fallen asleep on his should left her deeply embarrassed. Being vulnerable in front of somebody like Kylo for that long was unsettling.

"I see you're shut up once again." He said with resigned irritation.

Colby gave him a meaningful glance before she came up with an excuse for her aloft behavior.

"I think that it's kind of inappropriate for us to be so familiar with each other." She started "We just met, I work for your mother, your mother put me _in charge_ of you, we work for two opposing campaigns-"

Kylo cut her off before she could finish "I get it." He said abruptly. "If you're not interested in getting to know one another I get it."

"That's not what I meant!" Colby exclaimed, flushing an even deeper shade of pink.

Kylo released and exasperated sigh before he continued "No, I agree with you, it is kind of inappropriate to become really... close." He forced out.

"We can still be friends!" Colby shot back.

Kylo fidgeted uncomfortably in the too-small economy class seat, twiddling his fingers compulsively.

"Possibly." He finally responded after several uncomfortable moments, leaning back and making it clear they were done talking for the time being.

He was slightly wounded by her attitude but would never have outwardly shown that to Colby, his face was plastered with a stoic gaze that warned against more arguing. Colby felt awful for her earlier outburst but still believed it would be safer to keep her distance from Kylo. She completely abhorred everything he stood for but their chemistry was undeniable. If she didn't watch herself she'd fall further into an inappropriate and unsuited flirtation that could cost both of them.

At the same time she had to laugh, there was no way somebody like Kylo could be interested in her. It wasn't that she found herself unattractive, but Kylo seemed to be a serious guy, and they disagreed on almost everything. Where she was light hearted and the occasional ditz, he was intense and focused. Colby glanced down at herself. Dressed in leggings, a hoodie, and ballet slippers with her legs curled up on the seat and hair in a messy bun, she could've laughed at the differences between them apparent just from their attire and body language. Kylo sitting ramrod straight beside her in charcoal slacks and a dove grey oxford looked all the professional strategist compared to her.

Colby scowled, suddenly beset by a feeling of inferiority. She was doing a fantastic job on the Solo campaign and shouldn't feel one ounce less accomplished or unworthy because of their plane attire. She scoffed at her inappropriate, ping ponging thoughts, drawing Kylo's attention back to her. Before he could say something the plane suddenly struck the Tarmac.

Both had been so absorbed in their tiff that they'd completely lost track of time, completely oblivious to the descent of the airplane. Neither said a word as they taxied to their gate. As soon as they were allowed out Kylo stood up, grabbed his luggage, and strode out of the plane; nobody daring to step out in front of him but his pale and confused traveling companion from several seats ahead.

Colby made her way out of the plane and into the Charleston airport, but her spirits were dark and heavy compared to airy atrium she'd entered. Feelings of doubt were quickly filling her mind as she thought back to Kylo's reaction on the plane. He had clearly been upset that she'd nipped their flirtation in the bud. She couldn't say that she was happy about it either. Kylo may have been different from any other guy she'd been with before, dark, broody, intense, and diametrically opposed to everything she believed in, but the spark between them was undeniable.

She knew there were consequences to a strong friendship between the two of them, consequences with huge implications for a national election, but she couldn't leave things where she'd left them on the plane. There was no reason she should stop herself from pursuing a friendship, given it had a considerable flirtation attached to it, just because it was inconvenient.

As the baggage claim finally came into view, Colby hesitated once again. _He supports Snoke for Christ's sake!_ She thought to herself. The thought of an unnecessary friendship with somebody who supported Snoke enough to want to work for him made her stomach curdle. But how much of that support for Snoke was to irritate his mother?

Colby shook her head, this entire situation was a mess she'd managed to create in just a few hours. Before the flight she'd been steadfast in her decision to keep Kylo at arm's length, but now that they'd connected and then further distanced themselves she was so frustrated. Just like her to fluctuate like this over the course of just a day.

Steeling herself, Colby made a snap decision and jogged over to Kylo and his red headed friend, both scowling at the baggage claim in efforts to make their luggage come out faster.

"Kylo!" She whisper-shouted, with no response. "KyLO!" she hissed again with emphasis.

"Colby?" Kylo said, whipping his head towards her in confusion. "What do you want? What's wrong?" He said with a mixture of dark irritation and concern.

Colby blushed deeply, plunged her hand into her purse, and grabbed a pen. Kylo looked at her in confusion when she grabbed his hand and started writing.

"That's my number." She said quickly. "Call me when you need to kill some time while you're keeping reporters in bullpen?" She asked nervously.

Kylo smiled at her and gave quick nod. Colby smiled back quickly, and waved before jogging off to grab her recently released suitcase. As she turned to leave and meet up with her campaign town car she looked back at Kylo. With both hands in his pocket, he pulled one arm up and gave a curt wave goodbye, a hint of a smirk on his lips.

"Ren, who _is_ that?" Hux asked again, Kylo only shrugged in response.

"Grab our suitcases before they goes back in Hux." he said with a deepening smile, looking down at his newly inked hand.


	9. Chapter 8: ¡Qué Sorpresa!

Colby sat typing away, dutifully responding to emails in what could be charitably called her office. She was currently the highest ranking staffer in the Charleston office and was crammed into the only personal office other than the Secretary's which sat empty. Interns had been in and out of her workspace all day setting up the desk, phone, and computers for Poe Dameron, the press secretary who'd be coming in that evening.

Poe had started working for the secretary after Colby while she was still in the executive cabinet. Even though he out ranked her, she was his senior. The balance of power in their professional relationship had led to a pleasant rapport, Colby was excited to see him as they hadn't spent much time together since she was assigned to Iowa and Poe to New Hampshire. This was the first time they would get to spend more than a few days together since Mar, herself and Poe along with the Sceretary began to lay the groundwork for the campaign together. Since then it had been non stop.

Colby pushed herself away from her desk and got up to stretch, she'd been putting in overtime today hoping that she'd get to spend extra time chatting with Poe when he arrived. Just as she was about to walk out the door of her office she heard a chime from her lap top. A smile lit up her face and she bounced back to her desk giddily.

 _Kylo R: I'd have to say the 1995 BBC version._

Colby felt her smile brighten at the words as they pinged into her G-Chat window. While she's been working diligently, she'd also been messaging Kylo all day. She'd just asked him what his favorite adaptation of Pride and Prejudice was after a follow conversation about the classic novel.

 _Colby A: No way_ She responded quickly, hoping for a fast reply in response.

 _Kylo R: Yes way?_

 _Colby A: …_

 _Kylo R: What? It's your favorite too?_

 _Colby A: As if!_

 _Kylo R: What's wrong with it?_

 _Colby A: Where do I start? Colin Firth is a total fusty, and the entire thing id drawn out way to long. Firth is #notmydarcy._

 _Kylo R: Are you joking? Firth defined that role, everything afterwards is just a cheap copy._

 _Kylo R. Also… "total fusty? Wtf are you? A grandma or a teenage girl? Who says fusty?_

 _Colby A: If the shoe fits._

 _Kylo R: ?_

 _Colby A: What?!_

 _Kylo R: Masterpiece Classics are called MASTERPIECE CLASSICS for a reason!_

 _Colby A: Hop off the high horse Kylo. MC is good but the 2005 was my romantic awakening._

 _Kylo R: I can't talk to you right now._

 _Kylo R has left the conversation._

Colby chuckled to herself, Kylo was so much easier to talk to when she didn't have to make eye contact with him. While she was beginning to get more comfortable with him there was no question that his dark personality still intimidated her in person. They'd only seen each other once in the two weeks since they'd landed in Charleston. She'd driven five hours to a network meeting in Atlanta at the CNN headquarters. She'd been surprised to see Kylo there representing the Snoke campaign. She didn't talk to him because she was still embarrassed over her behavior in the airport. She'd also wanted to avoid the inevitable conversation with Hayley her assistant where she had to explain her friendship with a Snoke staffer.

Colby had felt guilty about ignoring Kylo at the Network meeting for days, compounded when he hadn't called her. Luckily since then they'd started chatting again and she was working up the courage to invite him to a press event, after talking it over with Mar, Poe, and the Secretary of course.

So lost in thought, Colby had failed to notice the commotion in the main office until she heard shouting.

"Where is my office!?" She heard the thundering yet well-meaning voice of Poe Dameron echo through the sparse space.

Colby jogged to the door and stuck her head out the frame "In here!" she yelled back with excitement at the charismatic man who'd burst into the campaign office with a huge smile.

" _Querida!_ " He exclaimed as soon as he saw Colby, running in for a tight hug. "I missed you!" He continued, wheeling his suitcase into their shared office. "I came straight from the airport so I could see the Clob-Woman before she got off work."

"Please, don't call me that." Colby responded "Come on, all I do is work now, and I planned on staying until you got in anyway, we have to get drinks later." She finished with a wink.

"Oh we do, I completely agree." Poe answered "You have no idea how much I've missed dishing with you!"

"Any news?" He asked pointedly, sharply turning the conversation away from greetings.

"Ehhuh…" Colby stammered. "Eh, no!" She finally forced out.

Poe raised an eyebrow at her accusingly but continued without a beat. He gestured to a dapper young man standing behind him.

Colby did a double take "Have you been standing there this whole time?" She asked incredulously.

"Yes I have!" The man responded with pep. "How are you?" He continued.

"I'm uh, fine." Colby answered with confusion.

"Colby I'd like to introduce you to Finn, my new assistant." Poe explained with a flourish as he grabbed the man's jaw. "Isn't he adorable?" He added with a smile.

"Where did y'all meet?" Colby asked as she looked at the pair uncomfortably.

Finn began "Well-"

"He was a Sanders supporter!" Poe interrupted "He was protesting at the speech in Sioux City and well we just connected. I convinced him to switch sides and I put him on my personal staff!"

"That is so… sweet." Colby responded.

"Yes I just feel tremendous!" Finn added.

"Yeah okay." Colby said dismissively. "Can I talk to Poe in private for a minute?" She asked sharply.

"Abso-tutely!" Finn said before he walked out of the room.

"We're fucking!" Poe exclaimed gleefully as soon as the door was shut.

Colby threw her hands up in the air in exasperation and looked pointedly at Poe.

"What?" He ventured.

"I can't believe I have to tell this to our _media director_ , but don't you think this is kind of bad optics?" She asked in disbelief.

"I have no idea what you mean."

"Um?" Colby sputtered out "You hired somebody from the opposition because you're sleeping with him! Can you imagine how that could be spun? What if we have to fire him! That's an employment lawsuit just waiting to happen. You're being completely inappropriate!"

Poe arched an eyebrow at her dramatically. "If that's what you think then I think you need to tell me what's going on between you and that dish from Snoke campaign." He asked pointedly.


	10. Chapter 9: Sliding Down

Chapter 9: Sliding Down

Poe looked like she'd slapped in the face after her earlier questioning "If it's inappropriate for me to be seeing a lower ranking staffer I poached from the Sanders camp then how is it okay for you to be carrying on with a senior strategist on the Donald Snoke campaign!" Poe intoned accusingly.

"What are you talking about 'carrying on with' with a staffer?" She answered quickly "I don't like what you're implying." She finished meaningfully.

"What I'm implying is that your campaign email has been flagged repeatedly for contact with an address from a Donald Snoke domain so I'm asking you what's up with this before it blows up in your face. Would this happen to be the man that two interns saw you leave the Iowa office with last month?"

"Are you having me watched or something? What is wrong with you Poe?" She gasped out.

"What's wrong with _me_?" he responded in disbelief "You're the one compromising this campaign before we've even started. Was everything you said to me about working the West Wing together just lip service to get you up the ladder?"

Colby was left with her mouth agape. "Where is this coming from Poe? We were chatting like old friends a minute ago and now you have no faith in me?" She responded sharply

Poe showed the brief flash of fire in his eyes usually reserved for overbaked conservative talk show hosts. "Are you kidding me right now Colby? Whatever is happening here, whoever you're talking to, let me remind you that he supports a man that has suggested we deport force sensitive people from this country. Is that something you're comfortable with? Or maybe it's something you support, what do I know anymore?"

Colby felt like she'd been slapped in the face, unable to respond with any nuance, she blurted out "I'll let you know that Secretary Organa knows about my contact with the Snoke staffer, in fact it was at her request that the contact began, and that it poses no risk of 'compromising' the campaign as you so delicately put it." She finished with a huff. Before Poe could respond to the information she'd tactlessly hurled at him, the chiming of her phone offered a welcome escape from the floundering man in front of her.

"I better take this, probably the Secretary!" Colby exclaimed with frustration lacing her voice and started for the door, ignoring Poe's protests and heading for the supply closet across the office. She stepped into the small pace, shut the door and flicked the light on. As the dim light flickered on in earnest she was greeted by the toothy smile of the Secretary splashed across a newly ordered posters lining the wall opposite herself and almost dropped her phone with a yelp of surprise. She scrambled for it and grabbed it just in time to take a deep breath and answer quickly.

"Colby Agoosetus, Organa for America, who am I speaking to?" She rushed out with as much professionalism as she could muster on short notice and an uneven temper.

"Uhm, it's Kylo? You didn't look at your phone before you answered?" He asked with a note of, _that couldn't be concern… could it_? Surprised to hear his voice on the line, Colby glanced up at the enlarged face of her boss looking down on her before tightly answering "I was kind of caught off guard…"

"You need to be more careful," Kylo chided, as if to a child "didn't you hear what those Lando Sanders supporters were doing to Organa Superdelegates? After only one primary? You shouldn't answer any phone calls from unknown numbers." Colby sighed.

"I'm aware of the situation," she responded pointedly, "if my introduction didn't tip you off, I just so happen to work for the Organa campaign myself."

"Just looking out for you, remind me not to give you advice in the future." He shot back quickly, with an uptick of anger Colby nearly missed.

"It's fine," she said softly with regret for her pointed sarcasm, his temper flared so easily "why did you call?" Silence lingered on his line for a few moments before he finally responded.

"Are you going to the CNN follow up tomorrow?" He asked in a measured voice. Colby thought over her response before answering, she would be going of course, but what was it the business of a Snoke staffer? A Snoke staffer she was admittedly close to for professional and personal reasons, but a Snoke supporter nonetheless.

"Colby?" he ventured.

"Well," she started "I am. But I don't think it's really appropriate for you to ask a high ranking opposition staffer about her schedule, or the campaign's relationship with a major network." She finished emphatically.

"What the…?" He responded in indignation. "It's nothing like that, Christ Colby what is with you today? I thought we were past the petty stuff, I thought we were going to try and be pleasant with each other while this lasts."

 _While this lasts…_

Colby felt a stab of guilt "I'm sorry, I've been having a frustrating day here. I don't mean to take it out on you." She apologized with genuine regret for snapping at him.

"It's all good I guess…" Kylo labored out, seeming to wait for Colby's permission to continue.

Confused, Colby finally responded "So really, why did you call? What do you care about whether or not I'm going to the network meeting?"

"Take the drive with me tomorrow." He almost commanded.

"Like, to _Atlanta_?" She asked in disbelief. "Are you sure that's the best idea? What if other staffers see us together?"

"I'll just drop you off a block from the building," he explained "come on, Hux isn't coming with me and I can't do that drive by myself. It's bullshit they're making us come in person in the first place so we might as well enjoy it if we can."

Uneasiness roiled in Colby's gut, five hours alone together was more than they'd ever spent together and she wasn't fully comfortable with the idea of it being work related, especially after the fight she'd just had with Poe. Despite her reservations, the implications of what he'd just said weren't lost on her.

"Aren't you liberals supposed to care about the environment?" Kylo questioned "Save a penguin and car pool with me."

At that, Colby couldn't help but smile. "Don't mock, climate change is serious." She chided halfheartedly, Kylo snorting in response.

"Alright, pick me up at the Charleston Courtyard at 6:30 A.M" she finally answered.

Kylo merely responded with a rough laugh and hung up with a promise that he'd try to be on time. Colby let out a sigh she hadn't realized was building up inside of her, and slipped down the wall with her behind sliding across the Secretary's face repeatedly. Once she was finally seated she placed her head between her legs and took more deep breaths before pulling up her phone to text Hayley that'd she'd be going to CNN alone tomorrow and to cancel the campaign car, that a friend in town was giving her a ride. Not a total lie. Colby ran her hands across her temples in exasperation, " _what am I doing_?" she thought to herself.

She couldn't help but imagine Kylo across the city, tucked away in his own corner of the campaign office to make _his_ side of the covert call, same as her. The thought made her feel closer to the inscrutable young man but profoundly lonely at the same time. For how could she possibly find it so easy to relate to not just a Snoke supporter, but somebody actively helping him get elected? It abhorred her, the ability she had to so easily cast aside what mattered to her for the sake of a handsome face and occasional conversation. On the other hand, she wasn't doing anything Secretary Organa wasn't aware of, or even discouraged.

Colby looked up at the flickering dim bulb above her, finally hearing the droll buzz of the electric light. Anything that had her end up on the floor of a supply closet had to be reconsidered. Didn't it? The next time she spoke to Secretary Organa she'd need to tell her everything that had happened between Kylo and herself before it got out of hand, even as she planned to show up to an inter-campaign meeting with him the very next day. On those thoughts, Colby forced herself up, dusted off her skirt, and exited the closet in the most dignified way possible for somebody in her particular situation. Bracing herself for her next conversation with Poe, she shut the door behind her with purpose.


	11. Chapter 10: Holy Bagel

Chapter 10: Holy Bagel

The early morning sun was barely peeking out from the Charleston Harbor's waterline as Colby stood purposefully outside the lobby of the Courtyard waiting for Kylo to pick her up for their network meeting. She'd tried her best to look her sleekest and most professional while engaging in a decidedly unprofessional activity. As a result her hair was pulled back into a tight, high ponytail, and she had on a long sleeved navy dress and sensible black heels. She slung her vegan leather attaché over her shoulder and leaned against a pillar. _Late, what did I expect?_ Colby thought to herself as she saw Kylo pull up under the hotel car park.

Colby walked briskly to the car, thankful that she'd asked him to show up earlier than necessary because she herself had always had issues with punctuality. She climbed into the black sedan, tossing her attaché into the back seat and shutting the door behind her. "Sometimes I wonder if you take either of our jobs seriously." Kylo turned to her, taking off his sunglasses and smirking at the red head that had just entered his rental car.

"Good morning sunshine." He greeted as she huffed and buckled her seatbelt. He reached behind to the back seat with long ropey arms to grab a brown paper bag. "Bagel?" He offered.

"I knew you'd be late." She responded, forcing herself not to smile, fully recovered from her irritation. She grabbed the bag from him and proceeded to prepare her bagel.

Smearing her doughy breakfast with cream cheese, she looked up at his frame, filling the driver's seat of the sedan's impossibly close front end. "Were you let because of the bagels?" She asked.

"No," he answered "I'm late because Hux gave me shit for not taking him with me when I tried to leave this morning."

Colby laughed, thinking of the pompous ginger trying to get Kylo to follow his orders.

"I may be not technically rank above him in this office but he knows not to mess with me, I'm not going to take some up-jumped Garfield to every meeting I have out of the office." He explained.

"Well at least you made it," Colby said "with bagels, most importantly."

Colby woke from a restless sleep to the sound of classic rock coming from the car radio. She looked up from her curled position at Kylo whose eyes were squarely on the road, his hand draped casually across the wheel.

"How long was I asleep?"

Kylo looked down at her for a split second "Oh hey, only an hour or so." He answered "We've only been out of Charleston for a few minutes. You pretty much passed out after you lit into that bagel."

Colby shot him potato eye before readjusting in her seat and leaning down to turn the music down. "Nice car for a junior strategist." She pointed out "All of us in senior staff have to share a rental at our camp."

"Yeah and I'm sure the Lando Sanders team will show up on a tandem bicycle made from recycled craft beer cans." He responded with a sneer.

"Do you have something against the Lando campaign?" Colby ventured. "You seem to have a pretty bad view of them."

"Don't you?" He shot back, giving her an odd look.

Colby had to think for a few seconds before responding thoughtfully "Well of course I want Secretary Organa to win," she started "but Senator Sanders is a progressive and we share a lot of the same ideals so I don't see the point in tearing him down." She paused before adding "I can't say the same about his supporters though."

"Yeah well aside from the fact that I disagree with him more than I disagree with my mother, his supporters irritate the shit out of me too." He said darkly. "'Land Ho!' my ass."

Colby scoffed "Oh yeah? Why? What do Lando Bros do that's so much worse than Snoke supporters?"

Kylo shot her a baleful look but she raised an eyebrow in response _. If he thinks I'll just give him a free pass and ignore all the Snoke stuff he has another thing coming._ Colby thought.

"As much of an asshole as you think I am, I still don't like idiot nineteen year olds shitting on my mother for not being cool enough or having a shrill voice. It's baseless bullshit. Where do they get off with that sexist bullshit?" He said, his hands now gripping the steering wheel tightly.

Colby was flabbergasted "Where do they get off?" she almost shouted "Where do you get off." Kylo looked at her warningly but she wasn't going to let him off the hook "How is it that you can say all that while your _candidate_ actually says those exact same things. He's even worse than Lando Bros, he's running for office and outright says disgusting sexist shit!"

"Don't get into this with me again Colby, I don't want to fight with you."

"I seriously don't get you." She huffed in response "How is that you are able to recognize implicit sexism in a voting demographic but when it comes to somebody literally saying sexist shit about your own _mother_ you just bury your head in the sand? I honestly don't understand how you support Snoke."

Kylo didn't respond and they entered an uncomfortable silence for several minutes. She'd obviously struck a nerve but Colby stared resolutely out the window and didn't say a word, keeping her eyes locked on the peach orchard they sped past. She wondered what drove Kylo away from his parents, two people she admired so much, but had no nerve to ask him. How could somebody turn out so different from the warm and thoughtful people that had raised him?

 _Is Kylo really unthoughtful?_ His dark exterior and brusque manner belied the kindness he'd shown to Colby since their time on the plane, but how much of that was just playing nice to his mother's little helper. _He probably thinks of me as a schemer, just like his mother._ It seemed sometimes like he had nothing in common with Secretary Organa.

"Kylo?" Colby finally spoke out.

"Yes Colby?" He said, his voice dripping with irritation.

"Are you force sensitive?" she asked.

Kylo looked at her, caught off guard. It could be a dangerous time to ask something like that, and the implications for a Snoke staffer weren't great. Vulnerability was clear in his eyes.

"I know your mother is Kylo." Colby said delicately, trying to reassure him of her intent. "I am too."

She'd been trying to square her feelings for Kylo with his support of Snoke, it wasn't something should define very well, but she knew that she at least wanted to maintain a friendship with this frustrating man.

"Don't you feel some sort of kinship with me Kylo? Even with your mother or uncle?"

"Don't be afraid." Kylo responded "I feel it too."

He kept his eyes on the road, a somber expression painting his features. "You can understand why I wouldn't want that to become general knowledge right? If anybody knew that either myself or my mother were sensitive, that we've been hiding it? It could be disastrous for both of us and our respective careers."

Colby eyed him with a heavy heart, her earlier anger evaporating yet again. "I don't think you give people enough credit." She said softly.

"I think I'm giving exactly enough credit to my co-workers, to my Bosses' supporters."

"How do you do it Kylo?" Colby asked "Working for somebody who hates people like us. Would suggest imprisoning us?

"You just don't get it Colby. It's not something I can explain to you right now."

"Kylo…" She implored.

"Colby," he started, pain lacing his voice "for now, can you just be happy knowing that I respect you? That I will try to explain more later?"

Colby turned back to the window, the orchards far behind them at this point. "For now." She answered.


	12. Chapter 11: Blarg

Chapter 11: Blarg

AN: I want to thank Shakira for helping me get through writing this chapter. UR beautiful wailing kept my fingers glued to the keyboard.

Colby tapped her pen impatiently on the shining wood of the boardroom table she and the other campaign surrogates sat at. Since the first minutes of the meeting it had been going on too long. The boardroom was hot and overstuffed with representatives for every major and minor candidate's campaign. Colby shot a glare for the umpteenth time at Jared Binks, media liaison from George Pataki's campaign, as he argued so violently with the CNN producers that he was nearly yelling. Colby turned to roll her eyes at Kylo but instead she rolled her eyes to herself as she saw him enraptured by the yelling Pataki aide as he began to talk about Donald Snoke.

"I'm frankly disgusted by the way you seem to have devoted your network to the Snoke campaign." He nearly shouted, spit flying from his mouth. "I didn't get the memo that Governor Pataki wouldn't get any airtime unless they started spewing inane bullshit."

"Hey why don't you watch your language asshole?" Colby heard somebody from the Cruz campaign shout from the front of the room.

Rolling her eyes yet again, she leaned towards Brando Blarka, a Sanders strategist she'd befriended earlier in New Hampshire, and whispered as best she could.

"I know the columnists have been playing this up online, but the dysfunction here is truly astounding."

"Yeah." Brando responded, waggling his thick eyebrows at Colby "When are they going to team up against their real enemy."

Colby chuckled and playfully shove his arm "You'd love that wouldn't you?"

" Oh most definitely." He said with a low laugh "It's so stupid we even have to come out this far for this bullshit meeting."

Brando gave her a look and they both turned their attention back to the meeting as somebody slammed their fists against the table. Colby looked up to see Kylo risen to his full height, and intimidating sight contrasted against the dozens of seated campaign staffers.

"Frankly, _Jared_ , I am disgusted by how you and others here have maligned my candidate and his campaign today and I'm going to have to leave if this continues."

Brando looked at Colby in disbelief before talking for the first time in the meeting "Maybe that wouldn't happen if your candidate wasn't constantly saying racist shit?" He intoned out of nowhere.

Before thinking Colby blurted out "That's uncalled for Blarka." As soon as it was out of her mouth she regretted it and sunk down in her seat, the other staffers around her already buzzing amongst themselves. She was one of the more recognizable members of the Organa Campign and that outburst surely wouldn't go unnoticed.

"Nobody asked for your hippie bullshit" Kylo shot back nobody in particular, chin up with a glare playing at his grim features.

"Well this has been so productive." Colby tuned quickly to the front of the room as one of the CNN producers began to speak. "This wasn't intended to be an airing of grievances so why don't all of you follow Mr. Ren's suggestion and leave." She finished with finality.

Colby heard that and immediately grabbed her attaché case and shot out of her seat to avoid talking to any other staffers curious about her apparent defense of Donald Snoke's racism. She made a bee line for the stair case and started taking the steps two at a time for the ground level and the street. The empty clanging of her heels on the metal steps in the echoing stairwell filled her ears as her she felt her face get hot. She finally reached the lobby and nearly jogged to the door so she could get a breath of fresh air, and just started walking.

§§§

Colby had been walking for only a few minutes when a car slowed down beside her. Looking up she saw Kylo in his car, looking at her from the driver's sit.

"Where the fuck are you walking?" He said in confusion, the midday sun causing him to squint at her.

"I don't know!" She shouted back in exasperation "I just needed to get out of there!"

"Get in the car!" Colby glared "I'm not letting you wander around downtown Atlanta, just get in."

Colby huffed, walked to the car and got in without looking at Kylo. She flung her attaché into the back seat with a startling force and looked squarely ahead.

"Are you okay?" Kylo finally asked after awkward moments of silence. "I didn't mean to snap at you in there or anything. I only meant that to the Sander asshole sitting next to you. Do you know him? Christ what a blowhard."

Colby glared at him and kicked her heels off onto floor below "Oh I only fucking defended the racist opposition in front of a room full of news producers and Republican staffers. It's not like people hate your mother or anything and they're constantly looking for the slightest fuck up."

"That was a closed meeting, you don't have anything to worry about." Kylo said nervously.

Colby leaned her head on her palm and turned to look out the window, Atlanta rushing past them. "You're naïve if you think nobody is going to leak that."

"Colby…"

"I can just see the headline now! Slate says 'Sanders staffer calls out Trump campaign on racism, and Clinton campaign calls criticism uncalled for' that will look great!" Colby nearly shouted.

Kylo gave her a look of sympathy as silence settled over the both of them yet again.


	13. Chapter 12: Howl

A:N To all three of my readers, this chapter has been a LOOONG time coming so I hope that y'all enjoy it, especially my biggest fan, user initforthecogs. 3 Rate and review!

Chapter 12: Howl

Colby looked ostensibly out the window and away from Kylo as they drove back to Charleston. Leaning against the window with her chin resting on her propped up arm, she gazed forlornly at the tobacco fields whipping past their car speeding car.

"Colby?" She heard Kylo say from the driver's seat"

Slowly turning towards him, she coked her head up in response before answering "What is it?"

"I want you to do something for me." He said in a haltingly, deliberate tone.

"What?" She repeated, this time with a twinge of the day's frustration in her voice.

"There's a Snoke rally tonight outside of Charleston."

"And…?" She prodded again.

"And… I want you to come with me and watch." He responded without looking away from the road, hands tightening their grip on the crisp beige leather of the steering wheel.

Colby was momentarily stunned into silence and kept her head stationary, looking at the road, unresponsive. Turning to look at him she finally answered. "Hey look at me."

Kylo turned briefly away from the long stretch of highway to make eye contact with Colby "What?"

"Are you fucking joking?" She said, laughing in disbelief.

"No, I'm serious." He shot back, a serious edge creeping into his voice as his eyes flickered between her and the road.

She gave him an incredulous look, and laughed again. "Why in god's name would you want me to go to a rally for Snoke?" She asked in continued amazement "What? So that a story about a top Organa advisor getting chummy at a Snoke rally breaks immediately after the the story about the press room leaks?"

"What are you implying Colby?" Kylo sputtered out darkly.

"I don't know Kylo, what are you implying that I'm implying?"

"Are you suggesting that I am trying to stage scandal to hurt my mother's campaign?"

"I don't know, are you?"

"Are you fucking kidding me? Of course not." He nearly shouted, the interior of the car suddenly seeming too small. "I know we haven't known each other that long but I'm honestly insulted that you would think that about me."

"Well sorry I'm a little high strung after what just happened in Atlanta!" Colby cried, raising her voice in tandem with his.

"You did that to yourself! I didn't _make_ you say anything!"

"Yeah but I wasn't going to let people just talk that way about you like you're…"

"Like I'm what?" Kylo asked quickly, resentment lacing his voice.

"Like you're fucking Snoke incarnate sitting at the conference table!" Colby cried out.

"Good to know that it's not me you're frustrated by, just everything I stand for." Kylo shot back darkly. "I thought we were over this."

"That's not what I meant, I don't care what you believe. I know you're better than Snoke just based on the fact that you haven't made a sexist insult about me yet." Colby responded, rolling her eyes.

"Look, this is exactly why I want you to come to the rally. You need to see what it's really like there before you make a judgement about our beliefs."

Colby leaned against the window again and glanced at Kylo out the corner of her eye. _What do I have to lose? I'm definitely going to get fired after that meeting goes public._ She thought to herself.

"Yeah I'll go." She muttered, not looking up from the window. "Why the hell not?"

§§§

"Do you want to hang back with me or…?" Kylo asked her as they walked through the chilly parking lot outside of the Charleston Southern University's stadium. The lot was bleak in the mid-February weather, full of press vans, protestors and supporters.

"Yeah I want to hang out with a bunch of First Order Beltway goons." Colby responded scathingly, rolling her eyes.

"Hey," Kylo shot back with amusement in his eyes "you're talking to one of those Beltway goons."

Colby smiled back at him but couldn't help the apprehension that began to rise in the pit of her stomach. She tried to keep up with the strides of Kylo's long legs, but ended up in a semi trot trying to follow him as he deftly wove his way through the throngs of people surrounding the stadium as they closed in on the entrance.

"Just get me into the audience. I think I'll be fine among the public." Colby finally answered, trying to keep her tone light hearted.

"Are you sure? Have you been to one of these things by yourself before?" Kylo asked cautiously as they pushed their way to the entrance.

"I'm not a child," Colby responded quickly "just get me into the audience and go do your job."

Kylo gave her a look, then showed an I.D to one of the staffers at the entrance who ushered her into the crowded stadium.

"Keep an open mind!" He shouted through the doors as she walked further into the lobby of the stadium, out of sight.

Colby looked around nervously as she tried to find somewhere to stand in the crowded arena seating. She chose to move towards an open space near the press pen and stood until the event began. Looking up at the all the camera operators in the press been slightly elevated above her, the feeling of unease returned. The jeers and shouts of thousands of angry attendees that had filled the echoing stadium seemed to hit her just then and she suddenly felt as though she'd made a huge mistake.

In front of her, the crowd of people seemed to be converging as if to look at something in the center of a circle. _What the hell is happening over there?_ Colby thought to herself as the shouts of the crowd seemed to grow in volume. She ventured forward with trepidation. As she slowly approached the throng of Snoke supporters, her heart dropped.

In the middle of the throng of bodies, a tall, red faced man screaming in the face of a petite young woman, her loose beige attire clearly marking her as a Jedi or force sensitive or at least.

"NOBODY WANTS YOU HERE FORCE SCUM." The man shouted, spittle flying from his fleshy lips as he encroached further and further into the girl's personal space.

"I have just as much a right to be here as anybody else." She shouted back, but her voice was shrill and clearly wracked with anxiety at the situation.

The imposing man grew even redder in the face, grunted in anger, and grabbed her upper arm, picking her up and shoving her forward and down to the ground. The girl yelled in pain, and surprise as she crumpled to the ground. Not thinking, Colby shoved herself through the people in front of her and launched into the tight space pair occupied.

She shot straight to the ground to help the force sensitive girl. Gripping her by the shoulders, she tried to pick her up and move her out of the circle but felt it slowly tightening around her. The man standing above her and several people standing in the circle around previously started shouting at Colby and the young woman.

"What the hell is wrong with you people! She's a human just like you or I!" Colby shouted back but her voice was inaudible below the dozens of screaming Snoke supporters surrounding her.

Colby suddenly felt herself jerked away from the beige clad girl, her shoulders yanked away from Colby's loose grip. A hand had grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her out of the immediate circle, she shrieked at the unexpected contact and loss of the injured girl.

She felt the air leave her lungs as she was elbowed or kneed in the stomach, she heard her phone clatter onto the ground out of her dress pocket, and doubled over without seeing who had struck her. She felt herself being shoved between rabid crowd, interest in her ebbing and flowing as shouting increased.

" _Help_!" Colby screamed as she began to fear being trampled as the crowd forgot about her, unable to regain her footing, shoved from person to person like a ragdoll and gave up hope of making it out of the mosh pit of human anger unscathed.

Ultimately shoved to the ground, Colby was face to face with a lanky screaming older man letting spit fly as he shouted unintelligibly. She pushed both her hands forward to shove him out of her space, but he grabbed both of her wrists and kept shouting slurs into her face, the heat of his putrid breath filling the air around them.

Before he could come any closer, she heard a clear, sharp voice rise out above the shouting. "What the _fuck_ is going on here?"

Kylo stood a few feet away from her, his voice slicing through the shouting as he surveyed the violent situation. Many of the brawlers had slowed their shoving at the sight of Kylo's imposing figure cutting through the crowd of bodies, but it was still loud the man above Colby held fast and kept screaming at her in the chaos.

"Kylo!" Colby shrieked, her voice hoarse from fear shouting. She looked him straight in the face and kept yelling his name, imploring him to see her.

The second he locked eyes with her, her heart seemed to burst at the release of tension. He looked at her and in a split second, the recognition of what was happening made rage burn in his eyes. He reached her in two long strides and grabbed him by the collar.

"Get the FUCK off of her!" He shouted louder than Colby had ever heard him. He grabbed the man's midsection and yanked hard on his collar, intending to toss him into the throng adjacent to them. His grip on Colby's wrists was so strong though that she was whipped off the floor with him as Kylo yanked him off her.

Kylo realized his mistake not a second too late. As soon as Colby was raised perpendicular to ground he released his grip on the man, reached out to grab her by the waist, and kicked her attacked to the ground releasing his grip on Colby. She wrapped her arms around his neck in an attempt to sand up straight and to her surprise he hauled her up into his arms bridal style and walked quickly out of the crowd and headed out of the arena.

"Are you okay?" He asked, all anger gone from his voice, his eyes imploring her to answer.

Colby looked up into his dark, hard eyes and gripped his neck harder, pulling her face into his chest and nodding.

"Thank you." She whispered softly as he walked them to safety.


	14. Chapter 13: Wowie Zowie

I can't keep quiet  
For anyone  
Anymore

-Milck

While this is just a crack fic read by one person, this chapter is dedicated to Carrie Fischer, Colby, and all the other nasty women fighting the revolution and the everyday fight to take care of themselves.

-XO MC

Chapter 13: Wowie Zowie

 _Police issued a warrant Tuesday for the arrest of a man whom reporters witnessed grabbing a young woman and shoving her to the ground during a Donald Snoke campaign rally. While violence at Snoke rallies is nothing new, this brawl at a South Carolina event has captured national attention after it the young woman saved by an apparent Snoke staffer in the cellphone footage was identified as Colby Agoosetus, a high ranking member of the Organa campaign. Sources close to the campaign identified her as a member of Organa's inner circle and a confidant of the former Health and Human Services Secretary. Many are now claiming that Agoosetus was planted The identity of the man who intervened in the fist fight is currently unknown but unverified accounts have placed him as an unnamed member of the Snoke campaign._

Brian Williams confident voice quieted abruptly as Leia, from her desk, muted the television sitting in front of the couch Colby sat on.

Leia pursed her lips and removed her glasses, pinching the ridge of her nose. "Well?"

Colby palmed her face in embarrassment "I'm honestly so sorry and I really don't blame you if you decided to fire me here and now."

Leia scoffed at her young aide, reminded of herself in the early days of her own career. Full of self-doubt, but so much potential.

"Are you joking? You were just assaulted; I'm not throwing you out. In fact, I think with Poe's help we could spin this perfectly, but to do that I need to understand what your relationship with my son is."

Colby's blood ran cold at her bosses' words. In all of the commotion, her fights with Kylo the previous day, and the fight at the rally afterwards, she had in all honesty almost forgotten that Kylo was Leia's son.

Colby sighed "Secretary, before what happened I would be able to honestly tell you we were just friends, but after yesterday I'm not really sure."

Colby finally looked ate her boss in the eyes, whose hands were clasped under her chin, staring straight at Colby, waiting.

"I think you more than anybody else can understand how weird this situation is. We're traveling across the country, scrutinized by the media, under tones of stress. Kylo and I-"

" **Ben**." Leia interrupted forcefully.

Colby hesitated before speaking up again. "Ben… and I are both going through very similar intense situations right now and you have instructed us to spend time together. It's inevitable that we have become attached to each other in a way. Although I promise you that nothing inappropriate has happened."

"Colby, this isn't the principal's office. I'm don't want to punish you. I just want to figure out what we need to do to make this right."

"What do you mean?" Colby asked in confusion.

Leia smiled at her protégé. "I mean that this might be a perfect James Carville and Mary Matalin situation that, if we can play to our advantage can help everybody involved… except for Snoke."

Colby looked at her boss in bewilderment. "I'm sorry Madame Secretary, I don't mean to speak out of place but I'm very uncomfortable at the idea of you using me to score political points off of your son." She said harshly.

Leia glared at her "The idea that you would even suggest that is why I'm doing this is upsetting." Colby looked at her in confusion again. "While of course I would love it if this played out in my favor in the polls, but believe it or not there are some things more important to me than this campaign. Namely, my son."

"So what _are_ you suggesting?" Colby asked hesitantly.

"I have never truly believed that my dear Ben had really become a conservative, it's simply laughable." She sighed. "You never knew him as a young man Colby, he was so kind, and thoughtful. Throughout college even, he never wavered from the progressive beliefs his father and I instilled in him. We tried so hard to keep him out of the public eye while his uncle was in office but I now believe that was a mistake." The Secretary became quiet.

"I don't understand…" Colby prompted.

"I feel that if maybe we had raised Ben more publicly he would've been more invested in what our family stands for, but when he was radicalized after college there was nothing I could do to keep him with us. When you met him last month was the first time I'd seen him in over five years. All of this being said, I have never believed that he truly abandoned our ideals like he's claimed."

"So where do I fit into all of this Secretary?" Colby asked with trepidation.

Leia smiled at her conspiratorially. "Just make him fall for you."


End file.
